A Vine cross with a Crucifix

The vine is a symbol of the Eucharist and the Christian faith, based on the biblical metaphor in Christ's parable of the vine: "I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman." (John 15:1.5). Acting as the pinnacle of man's union with God, the Eucharist (Greek. thanksgiving) is the most sacred sacrament of the church, in which the believer, under the guise of bread and wine, partakes of the very Body and Blood of Christ for eternal life. That is why the cross with a vine was one of the most widespread and revered images of the cross of Christian Russia. The symbol of the Holy Communion has been used as a decorative motif in art and architecture since ancient times. The vine can be seen in frescoes in Roman catacombs, on Byzantine mosaics, medieval stained glass windows and stone sculpture. There is a legend that the Virgin Herself presented a cross made of vines to the holy equal-to-the-Apostles Nina, thereby blessing her for the glorification of Christ. In Vladimir Mikhailov's product, the Eucharistic symbol frames a Cross with a Crucifixion — the image of the Lord's sacrifice for the salvation of people. The crucifixion of Jesus Christ on Calvary is the beginning of the purification and initiation of a Christian into spiritual life. The Holy Fathers compare the Cross of Christ with a new life-giving tree. The Church praises: "Hail, life-bearing Cross, the invincible victory of piety: the door of Paradise, the confirmation of the faithful, the protection of the Church. You have ruined yourself, and rebelled, and trampled on mortal power, and ascended from earth to heaven..." (stichera of the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross). In the eight—pointed cross, the filigree texture of wood is visible, above the crucifixion is a small horizontal crossbar — titlo, with the inscription of the guilt of Christ, written by Pontius Pilate - INZI — Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews. On the crescent halo of the Savior, you can see three Greek letters — O (omicron), W (omega) and N (nu), forming the word Being. This spelling has a fundamental character, since it points to the Deity of Jesus Christ. I am is one of the names of God (Exodus 3:14). The dove in the buttonhole of the cross is a symbol of the Holy Spirit, the third hypostasis of the One God, through whom God works in man and in the church. Just as the Holy Spirit was present at the baptism of the Lord in the Jordan, He is also present at the fiery "baptism" of Calvary, as one who accepts the Sacrifice of Christ together with God the Father and God the Son. The grace of the Holy Spirit is a cleansing spiritual force that sanctifies and quickens the soul of every person who walks the path of salvation. "But God is able to enrich you with all grace, so that you, always having all contentment in everything, may be rich in every good deed" (2 Cor., 9:8). St. Macarius the Great says: "The spiritual action of God's grace in the soul is accomplished by great longsuffering, wisdom, and a mysterious mindset, when a person also strives with great patience for a long time and whole years. And the work of grace is already perfect in him when his free will, after repeated testing, turns out to be pleasing to the Spirit, and over time will show experience and patience." On the reverse side of the cross are the words of the prayer to the Lord "Save and preserve" surrounded by a figured outline with radiance in the form of petals and vines. The whole look of the product vividly tells about the way of salvation through communion, faith and prayer to the Lord Jesus Christ.